How has Pakistan changed in 48 hours?

ISLAMABAD: The attack on Peshawar school has brought in a huge change in the way , an average Pakistani citizen sees terror and terror outfits.

“This is a “Naya Pakistan,” but sadly it has emerged after the sacrifices of 132 school children, who were our future. If we stand united as the country has witnessed in the last 48 hours, there is nothing which could stop us to become stronger. The nation stands with one voice, “no room for terrorism.” December 16, 1971 had divided Pakistan but December 16, 2014 has once against united Pakistan” say the News International header.

Though people do have a bad habit of forgetting everything within days and weeks, no matter how big a tragedy is, but this time, history would not forgive us, if we forget the blood of our children. Media, perhaps has a responsibility to act in a more responsible, professional and ethical manner feels journalist Mazhar Abbas in the opinion piece.

Now, as Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan have united on one point i.e. to eliminate terrorism and extremism, it should not be difficult to have a “National Policy.” Political parties should give their input but let the experts formulate a policy, which should not be confined to counterterrorism but also address other major issues, which also include better electoral reforms for more free, fair and transparent elections.

In building a “Naya Pakistan,” Pakistan has already lost 60,000 people but attack on a school and massacre of children is considered as attack on the future of Pakistan. Imran Khan, who is the leader of the youth of Pakistan almost broke down after what he saw in Peshawar. It did not take him too long to respond to the call of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the conference of heads of all parliamentary parties. The minute he took the decision to personally attend the conference, it brought the political temperature down and there was not a single voice in the top leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which opposed him. He went and his suggestion for National Action Plan for Peace was adopted by all parties reports News International .

It was not possible that leader of the youth did not take a bold decision on the killing of 141 people out of which 137 were children and over 121 injured. He came back to Islamabad, immediately called the meeting of his core committee and within no time announced the decision of ending his four-month dharna against the allegation of rigging in 2013 elections.

PTI is in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the incident took place in the Peshawar, the provincial capital. One can understand the kind of pressure Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak must be facing.

Killing of over one hundred children brought Pakistan to a standstill on Wednesday, without even a call to shutdown from any quarters. Pakistanis have not recovered from the loss of so many children in one of the bloodiest days of our history.

Many PTI workers got emotional and confused over the sudden announcement and in the coming days, we might hear that certain elements might spread more confusion. But only the popular leaders can take bold decisions, and Imran did the right thing. His decision was widely praised in the country reports News International’s Mazhar Abbas.

Like a good captain, he has increased the pressure on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on two accounts as the government will have no excuse to take speedy and strong steps against terrorism like speedy trial, fast punishment, zero tolerance against terrorists and make National Policy for Peace and against terrorism and extremism and secondly address the demands of Imran about the 2013 elections. Electoral reforms should not be delayed and there is no harm in constituting the election commission.

The decision of Imran Khan not to oppose the government and to allow it to come out with complete action plan against terrorism was welcome by the prime minister himself. “I appreciate the decision of Imran Khan and assure him that his grievances would be seriously addressed,” he told the Pakistani media.

Political temperature immediately came down as Imran came down from his container and got an emotional send off by his supporters and workers, some of whom had spent days and night in hot and chilly weather from August 14 to December 17. Some of them including women even cried. But, they must realise that their tears were too small to the one of the families of the aggrieved families of 137 children feels Mazhar Abbas.

It’s not time to return to old Pakistan. Let us all make this “Naya Pakistan,” stronger. After all, our children have built this “Naya Pakistan” with their blood as it was built in 1947.  

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